Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
‘Smokin Joe’ receiving hospice care
Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and is currently receiving hospice care in the US.
Doctors believe that there isn’t much they can do to aid the stricken boxer’s recovery and the Philadelphian is to be made as comfortable as possible with no timescale to his length of life.
Frazier, 67, captured the heavyweight title in 1968 before unifying the title in 1970 and becoming the first man to beat ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali in 1971 in Madison Square Garden.
The Beaufort-born fighter will forever be linked to one of the greatest fights in the history of boxing in 1975 when he went toe-to-toe with Ali in their brutal third meeting the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ in the Philippines.
In 1964, Frazier captured an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo which set him on the road to boxing stardom and Frazier would eventually go 29 professional bouts without loss before meeting his match in ‘Big’ George Foreman in 1973.
‘Smokin Joe,’ who retired in 1981 with a record of 32-4-1 with 27 knockouts, is up there with the great heavyweights of all time and World Boxing News would like to send our thoughts to Joe and his family at this time.
Frazier’s manager Leslie Wolff explained the seriousness of the situation in an interview in The Sunday Mirror today: "We have medical experts looking into all the options that are out there," Mr Wolff said.
"There are very few. But that doesn't mean we're going to stop looking.
"We appreciate every prayer we can get, I've got everybody praying for him. We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope for a miracle."
That sentiment is echoed by WBN.